Ballad Of Medgar Evers Lyrics - Singles - Phil Ochs

Pre>em g d 

In the state of mississippi many years ago 

Am em 

A boy of 14 years got a taste of southern law 

Em g d 

He saw his friend a hanging and his color was his crime 

Am em 

And the blood upon his jacket left a brand upon his mind 

Am d g 

Chorus: too many martyrs and too many dead 

Am d g (em optional) 

Too many lies too many empty words were said 

Am d g 

Too many times for too many angry men 

Am d em 

Oh let it never be again 

His name was medgar evers and he walked his road alone 

Like emmett till and thousands more whose names we'll never know 

They tried to burn his home and they beat him to the ground 

But deep inside they both knew what it took to bring him down 

*chorus* 

The killer waited by his home hidden by the night 

As evers stepped out from his car into the rifle sight 

He slowly squeezed the trigger, the bullet left his side 

It struck the heart of every man when evers fell and died. 

*chorus*